Moonlit Sun
by IvyLady
Summary: A growing Shadow threatens the lands. Two siblings, earthly incarnations of the sun goddess and moon god, separated from their parents for centuries. An incredible journey of love, sacrifice, and magic. SessInu
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Sesshomaru or any other character from the series created by the wonderful Ms. Takahashi. I do, however, own any OC's and the plot to this story.

Hi all, and welcome to my new story. This story is going to be updated more slowly than Fifty Years because it contains elements of Japanese mythology and folklore and I actually have to do research for this one. Hehe. Well, here's the prologue and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Child of darkness, child of light

Souls entwined from the first night

He of the moon, proud and hale

She of the sun, fierce and veiled

Until thirteen moons pass by

Their union shines in the sky

Prosperity and hope rests

On their foreheads marks impressed

Vanquishers of the Damned Soul

Unite the land, make it whole

Joy abounds if they prevail

Disaster reigns if they fail

Their kin shall preserve the earth

Bringing with them a rebirth

Shield the Destined at all costs

Else hope for the world be lost

Izayoi folded up the prophecy and placed it back in her jewelry box for safekeeping. Rubbing her protruding stomach, she sighed.

'_Life is going to be very difficult for you, my precious sun.'_

Many miles away, on a different plane, Amaterasu looked down upon her earthly incarnation still in the womb. She knew that life would be difficult for the little one and her Destined mate, but there was no way for them to escape fate.

For centuries, darkness had been rising in the lands of Japan. As the sun shone over the country and brought life to the land, this darkness seeped into the earth, corrupting everything in its path. The gods had watched the growing menace carefully, hoping that their intervention would be unnecessary. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The greed of the worldly creatures was great, and it was this avarice that had created and fed the rising Shadow. Knowing that their assistance would be required, the gods got together and decided upon a course of action.

Amaterasu, the sun goddess, and her brother Tsukiyomi, the moon god, would be the ones best suited for the task. As they could not appear directly to the mortals, a rather ingenious plan was devised. The gods would grant them earthly incarnations, born as the chosen children of a prophecy handed down in shrine and temple lore. These two godly manifestations would possess the ability to manipulate the elements. The sun goddess incarnate would have control over fire and earth while her male counterpart would rule the wind and water.

There was a catch, however. The Destined would only succeed if they worked together using their powers against the evil, and they could only achieve their full potential if they were mated. The four elements were not happy about being separated—each one necessary for world harmony—so they would not manifest themselves until the two had consummated their union. To ensure this happened, the gods decided on a family whose connection with the gods, nature and mortals was strong—the Inu Youkai family. In particular, they picked the Royal Dog Demon family.

The patriarch of the family and his heir, Inuginji were respectful of all life forms—plant or animal, demon or human. It was this understanding that was necessary to complete the task, for the saviors of the world must be born from a demon and a human, not just one of them. The cupidity and enmity between the groups created and fueled the Shadow's desire for destruction. The Destined would have the best of both groups, and thus be better prepared for the task at hand.

This joining would come at a cost, however. Both Inuginji and his fated mate Izayoi would suffer recrimination from friend and foe, family and clan. They would have to fight to secure their place in their world, and it would be a good while before they would be able to settle down and have children without fear of someone harming the child. Also, the lives of their children would not be easy, and the devoted parents would eventually be separated from their children for two hundred years, only connected by a thread of fate that would be severed when the Destined joined.

The undertaking was not to be accepted lightly. It would test the mettle and worth of not only the Destined saviors, but also their parents. If they could survive it and thrive, however, it would only make them that much stronger. Fate had big plans for this family, if only it could accept them.

As Amaterasu gazed down on Izayoi, she saw the baby quicken within her mother's stomach. Her earthly personification recognized its spiritual counterpart, even while in her mother's womb. Amaterasu couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, brightening the day over Japan.

"It seems you know who I am, little one," she murmured to the image. "I am sorry for the hardships you will face, but with an awareness such as yours, I have no doubt you will succeed, Inuyasha."

The baby kicked again, as if understanding the goddess's words. Amaterasu looked fondly at the child within the woman's womb, carefully studying her. The girl would be a handful, she could tell, and her brother was going to have a hard time with her. She could only wish them luck in their endeavor.

Amaterasu turned away from the image and left the room. She had much to discuss with her brother. Walking down the hallways of the massive Horai palace, she came to the entrance of the library. This room was enormous, taking up one-quarter of the space on that side of the palace. Every mortal book that had ever been written was there, as well as scrolls and histories of the gods that extended beyond the creation of the world. If one needed an answer and it couldn't be found in a book in Horai library, then that answer did not exist. In fact, that is most likely why her brother was there—he and his sister needed a solution for their current problem.

The Shadow had been experiencing meteoric growth recently, and if it continued on such a path, the Chosen ones would not have enough time to grow into their powers and their destinies. Tsukiyomi had spent the last two months sequestered in the library in the hopes of finding anything that would allow them to aid their incarnates without directly interfering in the matter. So far, he had little luck, but Amaterasu was confident that he would find a resolution to their predicament.

"Tsukiyomi, have you found anything," Amaterasu asked.

"The spirits are restless, Sister. They speak to me of the evil being committed and the atrocities to come if we allow the Shadow to continue on his rampage," Tsukiyomi replied.

"I know, Brother. I have felt it in the air—danger is approaching, and I fear if we do not find a way to slow it, all of our efforts will be in vain," Amaterasu confessed.

"There is a way, Amaterasu. On the island of Okinawa resides a secluded priest. He is in possession of Kusanagi, and has been charged with delivering it to the Atsuta shrine in Nagoya. The Shadow approaches from the Southeast, and with a little manipulation, it will encounter this priest," Tsukiyomi informed his sister.

"You cannot be serious, Tsukiyomi. What do you expect a mortal priest to be able to do against a conglomeration of evil?" Amaterasu questioned, bewildered.

"Of course the priest will not defeat the evil, but he can seal it. He has had dire dreams of late, and knows that he must go off into battle soon. With his spiritual knowledge and mastery of Kusanagi, he should be able to contain the Shadow long enough to allow the Destined to mature," Tsukiyomi stated.

"I am not comfortable with this idea, Brother, but I can tell that it is our only chance," Amaterasu admitted. "How long until their paths collide?"

"Fifteen months," Tsukiyomi told her.

"Fifteen months? But the girl child will barely be a year old!" Amaterasu exclaimed.

"I am sorry, Ama, but there is little more that I can do. It appears that our earthly friends will have to enact their plan sooner than anyone would have liked," Tsukiyomi told his sister, getting up from the table to hug her.

Amaterasu knew the situation was dire. Her and Tsukiyomi, while close, almost never used their childhood nicknames for one another unless they knew the other was upset. For her brother to address her as such meant that things were much worse than he was willing to divulge. She allowed herself to relax into her brother's comforting hold, knowing that many trials and tribulations awaited their incarnations.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Sesshomaru or any other character from the series created by the wonderful Ms. Takahashi. I do, however, own any OC's and the plot to this story.

I know that Inuginji isn't their father's name, but as there really isn't a given name for him in the anime, I just made one up. It isn't creative--it means silver dog child. Lol.

A little more background information about our favorite hero, Sesshomaru.

* * *

Her groans echoed throughout the room. Her whimpers increased in volume. Izayoi was in labor. Her mate Inuginji, the Inu no Taisho, was pacing the room like a caged animal. She could understand his anxiety, as this event was far from a regular birth, but his frantic movements were making her crazy. 

"Honey, could you please stop pacing. It's not going to make the baby come any faster," Izayoi asked him between breaths. Her contractions were only a minute apart, so she was in constant pain.

Inuginji stopped his movements at once. He was filled with emotion, however. Excitement over the impending birth was tempered by worry over his unborn child's welfare. He and his wife knew that their children were the prophesized ones ever since she became pregnant with Sesshomaru.

The spiritually powerful Izayoi produced a perfect, full-blooded demon son for her mate over seven hundred years earlier. It was no small feat. The child, now fully grown, required an inordinate amount of energy from her, leaving her feeling drained most days. Izayoi could only eat certain foods, as her body would reject most anything overly sweet, spicy or cooked. It had been a painful experience, but in the end, it was worth it. Izayoi and Inuginji were the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy with a strange crescent moon on his forehead.

While the rest of the household was shocked, Sesshomaru's parents were not surprised. For months during her pregnancy, Izayoi had a recurring dream—no, vision—of a little silver haired boy with beautiful facial markings. Not knowing what to make of it, she said nothing to her husband until he himself experienced a similar dream and asked her about it. Putting the information together, the parents realized that they were to give birth and raise the children of the ancient prophecy. After their sudden insight, Izayoi and Inuginji decided to find out all the information available on the prophecy and its effects.

* * *

Shortly after the birth of their beloved son, Inuginji and Izayoi received a visitor in the form of a shared dreamed. This guest confirmed their suspicions and set them on a path to intrigue and intelligence gathering that would last almost a millennium…

Sesshomaru was a sweet baby most of the time, but when he was in one of his moods, he invoked the wrath of hell upon all who dare oppose him, or at least try to get him to quiet down. The beautiful three-month-old baby had kept his parents and nannies up three nights in a row. Izayoi was becoming frantic—she was tired, but her precious child was obviously upset. Too bad neither she nor her husband could find the source of his discomfort. They had tried everything—feedings, changings, baths, toys, whatever they could imagine. Nothing worked. The poor child would cry and fuss until he exhausted himself, which for Sesshomaru was a long time. At her wits' end, Izayoi stomped over to her equally tired mate, their fretful baby in her arms.

"Ginji, you are going to have to do something about him. I think I am going insane. He will not stop crying! Why will he not stop crying!" she demanded of her bewildered husband. He didn't know what to tell her, and was afraid that if he said the wrong thing, his overly stressed wife would have his head.

"Dear, calm down. I'm sure Sesshomaru can sense our mood, and your upset is not helping him any," he tried. A glare was his response. Ok, time for plan B.

"Izzy, love…our child will be fine. Every baby goes through periods where they are colicky. This is perfectly normal," he told her, rubbing up and down her arms hoping to sooth her. His movements made her feel better, but his words stung.

"Normal? His behavior is normal? How could I not have known? What kind of mother am I? I'm a terrible mother to our child!" she wailed, more upset than her son. Sesshomaru suspiciously quieted down once his mother was sufficiently upset.

Ginji just rolled his eyes, having become used to an emotionally unstable Izayoi during her pregnancy. He did, however, have a sneaking suspicion that their young son was enjoying watching his mother fall to pieces, if that cute grin on his face was any indication. Before he could say something to calm his wife, the room went dark and it seemed as if he, Izayoi and Sesshomaru were transported to another realm.

When he regained his bearings, he realized they were on an astral plane, looking down at the country of Japan. In front of them stood a regal entity—not human or demon, most likely a god. He was tall with long flowing black hair, piercing blue eyes and skin that seemed to be kissed by the moonlight. His entire personage radiated power, and Inuginji was more than a little on edge. He moved to stand protectively in front of his wife and son, but the god simply smiled at him.

"Welcome, Inuginji and Izayoi of the Western Lands. I am Tsukiyomi no Mikoto, the Moon god. We have much to discuss," he said by way of greeting. Instantly, Inuginji and Izayoi hurried to bow to the god of the moon; however, the god required no such formalities.

"Rise—you have no need to bow before me. I am here to see for myself the people who will raise and care for mine and my sister's earthly incarnations," he told them. Surprise glittered in their eyes before it was replaced with acceptance. The god smiled.

"So you have already discovered that your children are the Destined. This is good—we will not have to waste much time on the prophecy. Come, I have much to tell you and little time," he said as he led them to another part of the plane. There, the King and Queen of the Western Lands looked out across the ocean, seeing the line dividing the sky and sea, the sun and moon. They also saw a Shadow, creeping across the Earth, heading for their lands. It greatly disturbed them.

"You see the Shadow. You know its goal—complete and utter destruction of free will. Using the vices of humans and demons alike against them to gain control over them. Your son, Sesshomaru is my worldly representative. He will wield the powers of the moon—control over the wind and water. He is a stubborn child and very headstrong, and though you will tell him of his role in the prophecy, he will not believe you until he sees the mark on his intended," Tsukiyomi told them.

Izayoi and Inuginji looked down at their son in wonder. He was not upset in the least; in fact, he appeared to be happy on the astral plane. It was almost as if he had come home. They couldn't help but smile at his contentment.

"He knows I speak the truth. You must form a spiritual bond with him—it will keep him stable while his powers adjust to his earthly form. It will also provide you with a way to track him if you are ever separated. You shall do the same with his sister, his Destined.

"She will not come for some time yet. You must prepare for her birth and their eventual departure. Learn all you can of the prophecy but be discreet. The Shadow is already searching for the Destined. It knows that the first one has appeared, and it would like nothing more than to destroy your son before he can become a man. If that happens, all hope is lost," he told them.

Izayoi and her mate looked at their small son. So innocent, so beautiful, and yet his life was already impossibly complicated. Would he never know peace? Could he be raised to live a life as a normal demon child? All these questions and more swirled in their heads as they thought on the god's words.

"You will know the Shadow when you see him. He is slick and cunning, yet he cannot hide his aura from pure souls such as yourselves. Harbor his child, for she is as much a prisoner as all of those he has enslaved. It will make sense when the time comes," Tsukiyomi said as he looked into the bewildered parents' faces. He knew that they wanted to ask him questions, but he was on borrowed time as it was. He and Amaterasu were playing a dangerous game as it is, and if he kept them on the astral plane for too long, the Shadow would recognize their absence and discover their son was a Destined child.

"Train him well, Dog General. He will need your guidance to protect his sister at all costs. She is the key. She holds the purity inside of her that her brother lacks. She is the passion that he cannot display. She is the love that he will lack in his life. Your child will be his entire life, and if anything happens to her, it will destroy him." Izayoi and Inuginji looked properly shocked.

"Take care of him and his sister. They are the hope for the future and gods on earth. If they succeed, peace and prosperity shall reign for all of their days as rulers. It is up to you to raise him properly. As much as it is unfair, everything rests upon his shoulders," Tsukiyomi told them.

Izayoi and Inuginji were shocked at all the god had told them, but also relieved. They now had a game plan for dealing with the Shadow. They would raise their son with love and care, and when the time was right, they would have their daughter. All would be well for Japan, because they would ensure that their children were well-prepared.

"Thank you for all your help, Tsukiyomi. We will do as you say," Inuginji spoke, bowing his head.

"You are a wise man, Inuginji. You are a special woman, Izayoi. Together, you will deal with whatever threats come your way, and many will come. Take care, and know that I and my sister are watching you," he bid them goodnight, then returned them to their castle.

No one had even noticed that they were absent—it was as if time had stopped for all the residents except the royal family. Thinking over all they had learned, Inuginji and Izayoi started planning their children's future. It was a daunting task.

* * *

Seven hundred years passed in this manner—the ruling couple raised their son and handled their domain's affairs all the while paying careful attention to events outside of their lands. It would not do for the Lord and Lady of the Western lands to be ignorant of important happenings in other territories, especially when these incidents could have a direct effect on their existing son and yet to be conceived child.

They spent the centuries fighting an increasing number of battles with both humans and demons angry over their mixed marriage. Izayoi became just as skilled with a sword and bow as her battle-hardened husband. Inuginji's cunning only increased during the time, enabling him to read more out of people than anyone would suspect. The couple was invincible, but not infallible.

The royal couple learned the hard way that not all those close to them could be trusted. Two years after their visit from Tsukiyomi, when Sesshomaru was just two years old, Izayoi's family declared war on the royal house. Citing their claim that she had betrayed their race, they had a visiting cousin poison the young child during one of his snack times. They almost lost their son, and would have if her husband hadn't smelled his sickly scent in the dojo where they were training.

They ran into the house, grabbed their son and took him to the healer. Once they were assured of his safety and life, they marched into battle against Izayoi's family, with Izayoi leading the army. Heading into her ancestral home, she ruthlessly slaughtered her own family—those who dared to hurt her child. After that, many demons of the Western Lands stopped questioning her ability to lead with her demon husband. Any woman who could massacre her family after they tried to kill her child was more than capable of leading the West.

Just before Sesshomaru turned seven hundred, the family received a visitor, a minor lord from a region outside of the Western Lands. Calling himself Lord Naraku, he arrived with his daughters Kagura and Kanna in tow. He claimed he wanted protection from marauding demons and humans and sought an alliance with the Royal House. Offering his daughter Kagura in a political mating, he begged favor from the rulers.

Neither Izayoi nor Inuginji were fools. They recognized the demon for what he was, the Shadow that had increasingly polluted the lands. Remembering Tsukiyomi's words, however, they offered Kagura a place in their home under the guise of her and Sesshomaru getting to know each other. The parents had no intentions of letting a mating occur between the two, but they had to give the illusion of such so that no one would question their motives.

Kagura stayed there a year before Sesshomaru announced his intention to mate her to his parents. Both Inuginji and Izayoi were shocked, and realized that the time had come for them to have their second child. The prophecy could be put off no longer. They only hoped that they had trained their son well enough to deal with the task ahead.

Two months after Sesshomaru's seven hundredth birthday, Princess Inuyasha was born. She was a beautiful child with the same silky, silver hair and golden eyes that marked her as a royal dog demon. However, she was different from both her father and brother in that she didn't display any facial markings and instead of elfin ears, she possessed two tiny, fluffy dog ears on top of her head. Sesshomaru was disgusted with her ears (though he secretly harbored a desire to pet them that he ruthlessly stamped down) and was upset with her incredibly bad timing.

He was set to marry Kagura in six months when his mother informed him of her pregnancy. With all of the pomp and circumstance that accompanied a royal birth, his mating ceremony had been postponed for a year and a half, until after Inuyasha's first birthday (another big day that required a lot of work). His mother and father thought it best that they have the events close together so that they could coordinate planning.

As much as he detested the delay, he dealt with it. His parents did have a point about waiting until they could do all the ceremonies close to the same time. That way, visitors wouldn't have to make two trips. As it was, his mating ceremony was set to be held two weeks after Inuyasha's first birthday celebration.

Even though he disliked his younger sister, she adored him. Her eyes would light up whenever she saw him, and as much as he didn't want to touch her, she would whine and whimper in his presence until he consented to hold her.

Truthfully, Sesshomaru couldn't explain his enmity toward the baby. He chalked it up to sibling rivalry as he had been the only child for seven hundred years, but he knew that wasn't it. All his life his parents had told him that he was one of the Destined, one of the two Peacebringers to the land. He had never wanted that responsibility, and longed to be like the other children around the palace. They were allowed to play freely and go into town with their friends, but Sesshomaru had none of those privileges. Most, if not all, of his games had a hidden agenda—they were either strategy sessions or subtle training. He could not go into town for fear of an assassination, so he spent most of his time cooped up with his parents. It wasn't a bad existence, just a lonely one that left him wanting interaction with someone his own age.

That was why he liked Kagura. She was young and vibrant—everything he wanted to be. Plus, she was beautiful. He would have been a fool not to want to be with her. But for all the happiness she brought into his life, something was missing. He knew he loved her, but he wasn't sure if he was in love with her. What was worse is that she didn't possess that special quality that made him want to give up everything to be with her. Only one person did—his younger sister.

Sesshomaru was thoroughly disgusted with his thoughts on his little sister, and thus tried to limit his contact with her. It was to no avail. His parents always found some way for them to interact. It was tiresome, but he learned to deal with it the way he dealt with everything else—feigned indifference.

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Thank you for reading and reviewing. Special hugs to animelover6000, the sadistic homicidal child, RKInu241, quantumphysicforBeastboy, akilana and kimmy for leaving me reviews. You people rock! 


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